Education, health, work, tourism, on the other hand, are among the entities that will increase their income.
Universities, various ministries, the Superintendency of Companies, the National Electoral Council and the Attorney General’s Office register significant budget reductions in accordance with the proforma 2022 sent by the Executive to the National Assembly, this when compared with the codified budget as of August 2021.
Generally, the proforma amounts to $ 33,809.7 million, a figure higher than $ 31,146 million of the codified budget to August 2021. In it, there are several items that are adjusted and others that grow. The Ministry of Economy and Finance has reported that the 2021 proforma has not yet been approved by the Assembly, which is why comparisons are made with the codified budget as of August 2021, which is the closest data to the budgetary reality that exists of moment.
In any case, when making these comparisons it can be seen that one of the ministries that receive the greatest adjustment or cut is the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (- $ 208.6 million, a 43.4% decrease). The Ministry of Production and Foreign Trade is also counted (- $ 167 million, that is, an 80.3% reduction); the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing will receive $ 85.1 million less, that is, 53.4%.
The Universities, which went from $ 1,247.2 million to $ 1,164.6 million, registered a reduction of $ 77.6 million, that is, 6.2%. The largest reduction is established in the investment issue. Thus, this item in particular is reduced from $ 164 million to $ 27 million: $ 137 million less, 83.5%.
The National Electoral Council (CNE) lower your resources in $ 80.3 million, that is, 7.06% of the total. The Attorney General’s Office will be cut $ 21.9 million, representing 59.4% of the total. The Superintendency of Companies has a decrease of $ 8.4 million, which is 29.38% of its resources. The Civil Registry also suffers a decrease of $ 12.4 million, that is, 20.3%.
On the other hand, there are some ministries and entities that will receive more resources. For example, Ministries of Education and Health will receive an additional $ 529.2 million and $ 250.5 million, respectively. These figures represent 18.37% and 8.69% more than resources in each case. The budget for the Secretariat for Human Rights is also increased by $ 12 million, that is, an additional 135%.
Regarding the security issue, the Ministry of Defense and the Police receive more funds. In the first case, $ 33 million more, 2.32%; and for the Police, $ 90.5 million more (7.01% increase). The Ministry of Labor will have an additional $ 35.3 million, that is, a 112.6% increase; and Tourism, an additional $ 5.8 million, equivalent to a 63.4% increase; INEC, $ 20 million more, that is, 94.44%.
Finally, this year an additional $ 385.6 million is allocated to pay the debt, that is, an additional 5.9%.
The adjustments of the proforma have not been slow to generate reactions. Yesterday, Marco Chiluisa, president of the Federation of University Students of Ecuador (FEUE), denounced in a statement that the reduction of the budget to universities puts in doubt the quality, access and research, as well as the progressive plans to return to the Face-to-face modality. FEUE requested that this issue be observed in the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the assemblywoman Wilma Andrade (ID) said that, in a first revision of the proforma, it worries that there will be a reduction of 6.34% in public works, in relation to the codified budget as of August 31, 2021. It ensures that just $ 450 million for public works is insufficient. He considered that the Government should make public investment to boost the economy and should present emblematic works to the country.
Meanwhile, the President of the Economic Regime Commission, Mireya Pazmiño (PK), did not convene the session until yesterday afternoon to know the budget proforma and the 2022-2025 four-year programming. This, because the CAL sent them the proforma sent by the Executive, but the report of the Legislative Technical Unit (UTL) has not been sent to them.
The first Vice President of the Assembly, Virgilio Saquicela (BAN), indicated that some administrative problem must have occurred, but explained that the UTL did deliver the report to the CAL and that it was favorable for the 2022 proforma.
The proforma must be treated in 30 days and in a single debate. The National Assembly can approve or observe the proforma “only by income and expenditure sectors, without altering the overall amount of the proforma”. If after this period the National Assembly does not pronounce itself, the proforma and the programming prepared by the Executive Branch will come into effect.
Meanwhile, the assemblywoman Pazmiño has also shown his disagreement with the fact that the tax law was not referred to his commission, despite the fact that the UTL in its report indicates that it should go to the Economic Regime. Rather, the CAL referred it to the Economic Development Commission, led by Daniel Noboa Azín. (I)
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